How Weleda is doing responsible business

| April 19, 2022

Rachel Bevans, Managing Director of The Healthy Brand Company interviews David Johnston, Managing Director of Weleda Australia to understand how they’re responsible across four key themes.

Creating long-term value for all stakeholders

The pillars of society that have guided us in the past are no longer playing the same part as they have, businesses need to step up and drive change. At Weleda we’ve been doing this for the last 100 years, combining scientific and spiritual knowledge to see humans, society and nature as a whole. We are part of nature and we have to act responsibly. Our values are anchored in this belief and it drives everything we do – from biodynamic farming in our gardens to ethical sourcing and how we treat our employees, partners and suppliers all the way to our sustainable manufacturing processes.

Purpose and values drive strategic direction and responsible business decisions at the individual, team and organisation level

You have to know your own values and purpose, and how they relate to the organisation purpose. It comes back to the individual, so we work a lot on ourselves. The more we open up to our own potential, the more we open up the potential of the business, making decisions based on the purpose.

How being responsible impacts customers, brand reputation and trust

I want our customers to have a relationship with us built on trust and ethics. We have to maintain what they expect to get from us, isn’t compromised and address any challenges along the way. For example, when it comes to packaging, we know we have a way to go but we are open about the process and what’s involved in finding solutions that work for the planet as well as our natural products without compromising the efficacy of the products. It’s all about the relationships you create with the customer and that’s what a brand is all about.

A responsible business is a great place to work for employees, trains and trusts employees to be responsible

People in the organisation are not there to be robots. People who work at Weleda work really hard, they have the freedom to take initiative, be responsible and I trust my team to do the right thing. When you give people freedom, they work with energy and enthusiasm and as long as we are achieving results, I am happy to let everyone make their own decisions.

How is your organisation stepping up to responsible business? 

Post a comment on First 5000 – Have your Say on LinkedIn today or email editor@first5000.com.au with your story.

Read more about responsible Business here.

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